Bomb Device Found In Coral Coast

The military's spokesperson, Howard Politini
told Radio Fiji's midday news today that the device seemed
to have been attached to a vehicle but fell off at a road
hump in Korotogo. The military is currently testing the
devise. No further detail is available on the find. Whether
there is a link between this find and the arrival from
Australia today of the elected Prime Minister, Mahendra
Chaudhry is not clear.

Korotogo is on the Coral Coast,
which hosts numerous middle-level hotels which are popular
for Australian and New Zealand visitors. Korotogo is about
one hour 10 minutes from the Nadi International Airport. The
media noted that the military had boosted its presence in
Sigatoka over the past weekend and speculated that this was
because of armed terrorists in Sigatoka area. The military
denied that there was any added presence of soliders in the
tourist town.

Earlier a bomb was found in the compound of
the Centra Hotel, close to the court house in central
Suva.

Meanwhile the military has requested for the
extension of the Emergency Decree - which empowers military
wideranging powers - to December this year.

END

Threat
Of Uprising

Issue No: 124; 17 October 2000

One of the
two Qarase cabinet members to be questioned this week for
their participation in terrorist activities in Fiji has
threatened of an uprising if he is charged.

The member
allegedly passed the message to the Police Force that if he
was charged, he will create problems for the force and the
civilians.

The police department is to question Ratu Inoke
Kubuabola and Apisai Tora this week. Tora and suspended
Police Commissioner Isikia Savua are related through
marriage.

Meanwhile the inquiry report on the role of
suspended Police Commissioner Isikia Savua in the terrorist
take-over of the Parliament is to be handed in to the
President by the end of this month.

The Peoples Coalition
has been informed that numerous police officers refrained
from making submissions to the inquiry committee for fear of
being targeted by Savua and his cronies in the Force. A vast
majority of career police officers want Savua removed for
incompetence, corruption and unprofessional
behaviour.

END

Another UGP Member Resigns

Issue No:
123; 17 October 2000

Another member of the United Generals
Party has resigned from the party for the party's decision
to participate in Qarase's Constitution Commission.

A Fiji
Times report of 16 October states that Prudence Rouse
resigned on Saturday because he "could not support the
illegal cancellation of the 1997 Constitution".

Earlier,
UGP co-founder and party spokesman, Mick Beddoes had
resigned because a majority of the executives of the UGP
decided to participate in the Commission
unconditionally.

During the time the government was held
hostage by terrorists, Beddoes had organised a nation wide
petition drive calling for democracy.

UGP was a coalition
partner with the SVT and NFP.

Meanwhile it is believed
that one of the Constitutional Commissioners supposedly
representing the ethnic Indian community is sick and
admitted at the CWM hospital.

END

SVT Considered A
Coup

Issue No: 122; 17 October 2000

The SVT had
discussed the option of a coup to depose the Peoples
Coalition government.

An article in today's Daily Post by
SVT member and ardent pro-democracy activist, Jone Dakuvula
states that Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, the SVT leader, and Apisai
Tora had considered the coup option "right from the
beginning".

Dakuvula believes that the opposition to the
Peoples Coalition Government was deliberately fermented by
the SVT through a well orchestrated plan which included
rejecting, at the insistence of Jim Ah Koy, the Peoples
Coalition proposal for the SVT to join the government as per
the requirements of the 1997 Constitution, and racially
slanted speeches and press statements drafted by SVT Senator
Ahmed Ali. Ahmed Ali, an ethnic Indian, is a former Alliance
Government Minister and actively supported the overthrow of
the Bavadra Government in 1987 by Sitiveni Rabuka.

END

Police Refuse Security For Elected Prime
Minister

Issue No: 121; 17 October 2000

The police
department has refused to provide security for the
legitimately elected Prime Minister, Mahendra
Chaudhry.

Today's Fiji times (17 Oct) quotes the Police as
saying:

"He [Chaudhry] is no longer a [minister] and why
should the Government provide security for him? He should
have been cautious and he has brought the threats on
himself".

The statement is similar to those made by
suspended Police Commissioner Isikia Savua who said after a
political march of 1,000 SVT supporters that the Police will
not be able to provide security to the city residents in
another march took place.

There have been strong reports
of security threats to Prime Minister Chaudhry and certain
other cabinet colleagues of his. A cartoon in today's Fiji
Sun says "This could be the moment Nimcy's been waiting for"
referring to the reports that the prison escapee Alifereti
Nimacere and Parliament Complex terrorist Tevita Poese were
well protected by segments of the disciplined force and some
Speight/Qarase supporters to use them against Chaudhry and
others.

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